Eric Olen, Lobos Agree to New Five-Year Contract Extension
The New Mexico Lobos men’s basketball secured stability for the future of its basketball program this week, announcing a new five-year contract for head coach Eric Olen that keeps him in Albuquerque through the 2030-31 season.
Olen’s first season at the helm exceeded expectations in nearly every category. Despite inheriting a roster with no returning players, coaches, or staff members, the Lobos finished 26-11, placed third in the Mountain West, and advanced to the semifinals of the NIT.
The 26 victories were the second-most by a first-year head coach in program history, while the Lobos’ four postseason wins marked the most by a UNM coach in his debut season.
“This past year has been an amazing experience for me and my family,” Olen said. “It’s an honor to lead this program and walking down the ramp on game day is something I will never take for granted.”
UNM’s offense rewrote the record books during the 2025-26 campaign, scoring a program-record 3,004 points while finishing inside the national top 50 in both NET and KenPom rankings.
Freshman standout Jake Hall emerged as one of the nation’s brightest young stars, earning Mountain West Freshman of the Year honors and becoming the first freshman in conference history to score more than 600 points in a season. Hall also set the school’s single-season three-point record with 117 makes. Fellow standout Tomislav Buljan earned Second Team All-Mountain West recognition after leading the conference in rebounds and double-doubles.
The Lobos return Hall, Uriah Tenette, and Chris Howell heading into 2026-27, giving UNM one of the nation’s top returning freshman cores.
Four Lobos Earn All-Mountain West Golf Honors
The New Mexico Lobos men’s golf tied a program record with four selections on the All-Mountain West Team this week, highlighted by freshman Thayer Plewe being named Mountain West Freshman of the Year.
Mesa Falleur, Johnnie Clark, Plewe, and Emil Albers all earned all-conference recognition following strong seasons that helped position the Lobos for another NCAA Regional appearance.
Falleur enters postseason play ranked No. 21 nationally with a team-best 70.10 stroke average and two tournament victories this season. Clark impressed in his first season at UNM after transferring from Oklahoma State, while Albers joined Tiger Woods as the only freshmen to win medalist honors at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate.
The Lobos now turn their attention toward the NCAA Bryan Regional in Texas.
Lobos Struggle in Opening Round of NCAA Bryan Regional
New Mexico’s NCAA Regional hopes took an early hit Monday after a difficult opening round at the Bryan Regional hosted by Texas A&M University.
The Lobos shot 13-over as a team and sit 13th in the 14-team field entering the final two rounds, 19 shots behind the projected cut line for the NCAA Championships.
Johnnie Clark paced UNM with a 1-over 73, while Thayer Plewe recovered from a rough start to close with 10 consecutive pars. Wyatt Provence shot 4-over, Emil Albers finished 5-over, and Mesa Falleur carded a 7-over round.
Host Texas A&M leads the regional at 12-under.
KK Rodriguez Joins Women’s Basketball Staff
New Mexico Lobos women’s basketball head coach Amy Eagan finalized another addition to her coaching staff this week with the hiring of KK Rodriguez as special assistant to the head coach.
Rodriguez begins her coaching career after playing collegiately at SIUE and Tulsa, where she averaged 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game during her final three collegiate seasons.
Lobos Repeat as Mountain West Outdoor Champions
New Mexico women’s track and field continued its dominant run atop the Mountain West, capturing a second consecutive outdoor conference championship Saturday in Clovis.
The Lobos piled up a program-record 190 points, completing another sweep of Mountain West women’s cross country, indoor, and outdoor titles. The championship marks the sixth consecutive conference trophy for the program across the three sports seasons.
Pamela Kosgei, Ajia Hughes, Tina Nisoli, and several others led the charge during a massive final day that saw the Lobos score 165 points on Saturday alone.
Nisoli opened the championship weekend by winning the women’s 10,000m title, while Evans Kiplagat gave the men’s team a sweep of the event later Thursday night.
On Friday, Hughes captured the long jump title and Kosgei added another Mountain West crown in the steeplechase.
The men’s squad finished fourth overall with 107 points after another strong showing from the Lobos’ distance runners and relay teams.
Baseball Opens MW Tournament Against Nevada
The New Mexico Lobos baseball begins postseason play Thursday night as the No. 5 seed in the Mountain West Baseball Championship in Mesa, Arizona.
The Lobos will face No. 4 seed Nevada Wolf Pack baseball in a win-or-go-home opening-round matchup. A victory would move UNM into the double-elimination portion of the bracket against regular season champion San Diego State Aztecs baseball.
New Mexico enters the tournament at 28-22-1 overall and 12-11-1 in conference play after rallying late in the regular season to clinch its third straight Mountain West Tournament berth.
The Lobos are searching for their first conference tournament title since 2016, when they won the championship on their home field to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
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